Waking up first thing this morning and seeing at least a foot of snow in my yard, I almost officially declared my own snow day. Instead, I sped up my routines and shoveled the driveway to get to work on time.

Upon arrival, which was 10 minutes early, I was somewhat surprised to see several other diehards in the City of Tecumseh who had made it into work before me. Mind you they’re calling this the Blizzard of 2011. I’m not sure why but suddenly my respect for those folks went up a notch just knowing that there are service oriented people who can be counted on to be there day in and day out regardless of the conditions.

There are small tractors out clearing sidewalks and large trucks plowing the main roads. The police are still on duty using whatever means necessary to get around including large four-wheel drives. Corrections officers are still watching our convicts; emergency room personnel continue providing care, as do the paramedics. Knowing those people will show up when needed gives me added confidence in our system.

Now don’t go thinking just because us knuckleheads are out there on the roads driving around that you can too. I wouldn’t recommend it and neither does the city or county for that matter. As a matter of fact they have asked that everyone stay off the roads until everything settles down, unless it’s absolutely necessary. One of the problems rescue personnel run into is having vehicles out creating even more hazards. And with the snow rising a foot and beyond from the wind conditions there’s more than a ditch to worry about. People are getting stuck in the middle of the road. When police were calling in abandoned cars along the road this morning all the dispatcher could say is “I’ll add it to the list.”

Do be careful as you deal with this blizzard of ‘11. Absorb it, take it all in, and remember what a real snow day looks like!